Elastic insert for undergarments



I March 6, 1956 N. AYRES 2,736,899

ELASTIC INSERT FOR UNDERGARMENTS Filed May 20, 1953 Nancy Ayres IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 2,736,899 ELASTIC INSERT FOR UNDERGARMENTS Nancy Ayres, Denver, Colo., assignor of two-fifths to Ray S. Kelly, Denver, Colo. Application May 20, 1953, Serial No. 356,201 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-42) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in undergarments, particularly brassieres, and the like, and the principal object of the invention is to provide such undergarment with a replaceable elastic insert so that the entire undergarment need not be discarded when the insert with which it was originally provided loses its elasticity.

As is well known, undergarments of the torso encircling variety, such as brassieres, for example, are equipped within the length thereof with an elastic insert which causes the undergarment to contract around the body and thereby effectively sustain its position. However, after repeated wear and laundering, the insert soon loses its elasticity, with the result that another insert must be sewn in its place or the entire undergarment discarded. The sewing in of a new insert is a tedious procedure and the instant invention eliminates these disadvantages by providing the undergarment with an elastic insert which may be quickly and easily replaced, when so desired.

Prior garments of the type herein disclosed have been proposed in which separable inserts have been used. In such prior proposals the inserts have been connected into the garment by means of fastener elements which are difiicult, if not impossible, for the average woman to mount properly in position on the insert. Such inserts were thus not easily fabricated, if at all, by the wearer of the garment.

The elastic insert of the garment of the present invention is one which is not only easily removed from the garment, but also one which can be easily fabricated by a woman relatively unschooled in the art of sewing. The insert is formed from a preselected length of an easily procured elastic band having the opposite end portions reversely bent back or folded upon themselves and secured by stitches or the like. Where no sewing machine is available to the wearer or where the wearer is not adept in the use of the machine, the folded over end portions can be secured merely by hand formed stitches. The folded over end portions provide loops integrally formed in the opposite ends of the band which serve as female members for removably receiving male fastener members of the garment.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a rear perspective view of the invention embodied in a brassiere, the latter being illustrated in position on the body of the user;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the invention on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the replaceable insert per se, and

Figure 4 is an end view of ure 3.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the general reference character designates an undergarment, specifically, a brassiere which includes the usual pair of relatively narrow, opposing tongues 12, 14 which the insert as shown in Fig- 2,736,899 Patented Mar. 6, 1956 2 are adapted to be separably and adjustably connected together at the back of the body.

in accordance with the conventional practice, the free end of the tongue 12 is provided with a hook 16 which is adjustably and selectively received in a plurality of eyes 18 formed in a relatively non-elastic band 20 and the free end of the band 20 is equipped with a conventional separable fastening or connecting element 22 of the type which includes a finger or prong member.

A similar fastening or connecting element 24 is provided at the free end of the tongue 14 and the finger of this element is separably engageable with a loop 26 formed at one end of an elastic, replaceable insert 28. Similarly, the other end of the insert 28 is equipped with a loop 30 to separably receive the finger of the aforementioned connecting or fastening element 22. The insert 28 comprises a short band of an elastic material and the loops 26, 3% are formed by folding over the opposite end portions of the band after which the folded portions are preferably secured by stitches either hand or machine sewn.

When the invention is placed in use, the bands or straps 2d, 28 remain attached to the tongue 14 by virtue of the elements 22, 24 and the band 20 is adjustably and separably connected to the tongue 12 by the hook and eye means, 16, 18 to facilitate donning and removal of the brassiere.

When the insert 28 loses its elasticity, it may be readily removed by simply disengaging the fingers of fastener elements 22, 24 from the respective loops 30, 26 for replacement with a new insert.

As the insert comprises the elastic band having loops integrally formed at the opposite ends by the folded over portions, it is a simple matter for the wearer to make a new insert to replace the one removed.

It is to be understood that although the invention has been disclosed in association with a brassiere, it may be also employed in the same or similar manner with torso encircling garments of other types.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A torso encircling garment comprising: a pair of 0pposing tongues; a hook element secured to the free end of one of said tongues; 21 non-elastic band carrying a plurality of eye elements, said hook element receivable in a selected one of said eye elements to detachably connect said band to the tongue to which said hook element is secured; a band of elastic material having loops integrally formed at the opposite ends thereof; and connector means secured to the free end of the other tongue and to the end of said non-elastic band adapted to be separably received, respectively, within the loops of said elastic band to detachably interconnect said one tongue and the non-elastic band thereby to complete the means of the garment encircling the torso of the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,401,227 Wyeth Dec. 27, 1921 1,838,604 Wozencraft et al Dec. 29, 1931 2,481,603 Lo Cascio Sept. 13, 1949 2,602,929 Chasinov July 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 816,534 Germany Oct. 11, 1951 

